Education

Background

At a young
age, my interest in science was kindled by science fiction stories, comic
books, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. My fondness for chemistry developed in high
school, where I was fortunate to have a skilled and devoted chemistry
teacher. While working on my doctorate
in West Lafayette, Indiana, I discovered a deep satisfaction in mentoring collegiate
students. As the graduate of a small liberal arts
college in the Milwaukee area, I hoped to find a faculty position at a similar
institution, and was fortunate to be called to WLC. Outside of my academic duties and service
activities, I enjoy reading, writing, and drawing. In addition to my vocation as chemistry
professor, I am also blessed to be a husband and father. My wife and I enjoy playing board games,
traveling, and spending time with our children.

As a
professor at WLC, my goal is to help students gain the chemical knowledge they
will need to be successful, both in their chosen career path and as an educated
citizen. I prefer using group learning
activities to keep students actively involved and to promote critical thinking
skills, since college is a time to hone the problem solving, interpersonal, and
individual learning skills that students will need throughout their lives.

Teaching

CHE 161 – General
Chemistry 1

CHE 162 – General
Chemistry 2

CHE 168 – General
Chemistry Laboratory 1

CHE 169 – General
Chemistry Laboratory 2

CHE 341 – Physical
Chemistry 1

CHE 342 – Physical
Chemistry 2

CHE 349 – Physical
Chemistry Laboratory 2

CHE 391 – Special
Topics

CHE 392 – Special
Topics Laboratory

CHE 430 – Inorganic
Chemistry

PHY 201 – Space,
Time, and Motion Laboratory

Research Interests

Water is
abundant in biological and geological chemistry. Processes such as protein folding,
self-aggregation, and micelle formation are just a few biochemical examples
that are mediated – if not initiated – by water. Since many of these processes involve
molecules with hydrophobic surfaces (those that “fear” getting wet and are
repelled from – or by -water), understanding the behavior and structure of
water molecules around such surfaces is critical to understanding the driving
forces behind these processes. My
dissertation work focused on using Raman spectroscopy to study water hydration
structure around hydrophobic solutes.

The chemistry
department at WLC has several analytical instruments at its disposal, including
mass spectrometry, optical spectroscopy (UV-VIS, IR, fluorescence), and atomic
absorption spectroscopy. WLC students
have assisted me in constructing a Raman spectrometer on campus, and our
department recently acquired a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer. One of my current research interests is to
develop interdisciplinary collaborations with other departments and apply the
aforementioned techniques (along with their associated chemical knowledge) to
experimental research questions in these other disciplines. For example, my students and I have assisted
the anthropology department in determining the copper content in archeological
artifacts.

Students
often have their own research interests.
I am always willing to talk to students about their interests and
develop research projects that are exciting for both me and the student.

Select
Presentations

“POGIL as Gen. Ed.: Generating artifacts for the assessment
of general education outcomes in the POGIL Classroom,” Oral Presentation,
American Chemical Society 253rd National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, April
2017.